Propeller



LEVI H. MARKLEY, OF LINE orrioE..

LEXINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROPELLER.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI H. MARKLEY, of Line Lexington, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Propellers for Propelling Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of the stern of a canal boat with the improved propeller applied. Fig. 2, is a vertical transverse section of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operat-ion.

At the stern of the vessel to be propelled is formed a chamber or recess A, entirely open below and at the rear, in the sides of which are formed horizontal grooves B, in which are inserted (and slide) parallel bars, connected together by a cross bar C, to which the end of another horizontal bar passing through a stuffing boX in the vertical transverse bulkhead D, at the stern, is attached,

and which is attached directly, or by the interposition of additional parts, as may be desired, at its other end, to the piston rod of a steam engine.

Between the rear ends of the sliding bars is suspended on horizontal pivots or journals p, a rectangular frame E, the said pivots projecting from the center of its sides and entering boxes at the ends of the sliding bars, and within the frame E, are arranged two paddle blades or fliers F, also suspended on horizontal journals or pivots a short distance from their edges neXt each other, which pivots enter boxes in the sides of the frame E, near their forward edges.

The edges of the paddle blades or fliers F, near which the pivots are situated, touch each other and rest against a horizontal bolt inthe side of the frame E, when in the inclined positon to act with their full force against the water, as represented in Fig. l, while their opposite edges, which are slightly curved, are stayed to withstand the resistance of the water by resting respectively against the lower and upper surfaces of the upper and lower cross pieces of the frame E. An eye bolt is driven in the rear edge of one of the sides of the frame E, to which is hooked t-he lower end of a vertical rod Gr, whose upper end passes through and is firmly attached to a block H, having a tongue on one of its sides which enters and slides in a corresponding groove formed in the deck or other convenient part of the vessel, above the water line, being held and guided there-- in by a sliding bar I, whose ends move in grooves or guides, which, together with the guide through which its handle passes enable it to be moved flush up with or away from the side of the sliding block I, to either keep the tongue on its opposite side in the groove, or detach it therefrom. In the former case, that it is to say when the tongue is in the groove, the rod Gr, is made to actas a brace to the turning and reciprocating paddle blade or flier frame E, by being previously brought between either of the hooks J, and the edge of the side of said frame to which they are attached, and in the latter instance-when the tongue is detached from the groove-the said rod G, can be employed to turn the frame E, and reverse the position of the paddle blades or fliers F.

The operation is as follows: The pivoted frame E, being secured in a vertical position by turning the rod G, between the upper hook J, and the side piece of the same, and the confinement of the tongue onthe side of the block in the groove by the sliding bar I,

a reciprocating movement is given the samey by any convenient power. This causes the paddle blades or fliers F, to close together and act against the water during their backward movement, and to turn on their pivots and present a feather edge against which the water will have but little resistance, during their forward movement, and in this manner a large propelling surface is made to act against the water at every alternate movement of the frame E, without producing any material agitation of the water. On this account this system of propulsion is admirably adapted to canal boats.

When it is desired to change the position of the paddle blades or fliers F, so as to move the vessel sternwise, the rod G, is disengaged from the upper hook J, and the block H, at its end, from the groove between which and the bar I, it moves, by the withdrawal of said bar I, and the pivoted frame E, is turned so as to reverse the position of the paddles F, as represented by red lines in Fig. l. The rod Gr, is then brought between the other hook J, and the edge of the side piece of the frame E, and there confined by The arrangement and combination of the 1 f the sliding bar I, acting upon the side of the peculiarly-acting paddle blades or iers F, sliding block H, in a similar manner `to that pivoted frame E, rods G, hooks J, sliding above described. block H, and reversing and bracing bar I, as 15 5 TWO sets of paddle blades or fliers F, and and for the purpose hereinV shown and detheir attachments may be employed, to act scribed.

upon the W'ater alternately in which case they will be arranged on either side of the LEVI H' MARKLEY' keelson. Witnesses 10 What I claim as new and desire to secure HENRY ROBINSON,

by Letters Patent, is- SAML. BAR'rr-IOLOMEW. ,i 

